Republicans Stonewall ‘Paycheck Fairness Act’ Over Employer Burdens, Redundancy

Republican senators stonewalled a Democratic “gender wage gap” bill due to concerns that the bill was “redundant” and would burden small businesses.

Senate Republicans used the filibuster Tuesday to kill the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have had businesses prove disparages in pay between women and men were the result of “job performance” rather than gender, Politico reported Tuesday.

The bill was voted down 49-50, failing to garner the needed 60 votes to advance.

The filibuster marks the second time Republicans have used the tactic during the Biden administration, with the first filibuster used to stop a commission from being formed to investigate the events of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

Every Senate Republican voted to block a debate on Democrats’ Paycheck Fairness legislation aimed at shrinking the gender pay gap.

60 votes were needed to overcome their filibuster.

Roll call vote: pic.twitter.com/nw2WGjsos1

— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) June 9, 2021

The bill would have additionally barred employers from retaliating against workers who shared salary information and would also have authorized a grant program to train women on salary negotiation and wage discrimination, Politico reported.

Most Republicans voiced concern about the burden the law would bring on businesses, and stated that gender discrimination was already illegal, according to Politico. (RELATED: Senate Democrats Vote Down Amendment That Would Have Banned Certain Human-Animal Hybrid Experiments)

“I don’t think it’s a good bill,” Republican North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr told Politico. “We have three statutes on the books that don’t allow pay discrepancy today. We need a fourth one?”

Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked debate on a bill to combat pay discrimination against women and LGBTQ workers, the first in a series of votes set up by Democratic leaders this month to highlight the power of the filibuster. https://t.co/Msc81jPf6e

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 9, 2021

Some Senate Democrats have sought to kill the filibuster in the hopes of boosting their chances of passing much of their agenda, however several Democrats, including Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, have publicly rebuked the idea.